Swivel coupling



Oct. 9, 1951 A. N. TRosHKlN ET AL 2,570,406

' SWIVEL coUPLING Filed Feb, 8, 1949 INV ENTo Rs A LEXA Na-,Q M 7:90 SHK/N ,4A/o wwe D. P19555 ATTORN EYS Hm l 10H84 19C fab v l I5 {b 2'4 g5 Patented Oct. 9, 1951 SWIVEL COUPLING r Alexander N. Trushkin, Nutley, and Irving D. Press, Union, N. J., assignors to Resistoex Corporation, Belleville, N. J., a corporation of New York Application February 8, 1949, Serial No. 75,204

when the hose is subjected either to pressure or vacuum.

Another object is to provide a swivel coupling having a high margin of safety, particularly for use with fluids the escape of which may be dangerous.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swivel coupling which comprises a minimum of 'parts and is adapted to manufacture with a minimum of machining operations.

A further object is to provide a swivel coupling and sealing means permitting theA coupling to be screwed and unscrewed many times without developing leaks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which, y

Fig. 1 is a half sectional elevation of one form of coupling in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively front and side elevations of the slidable ring forming part of the` sealing means; l

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively front and side elevations of an O-ring, of resilient material, forming part of the sealing means;

Fig. 6 is a half sectional elevation of a modied form of coupling;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail showing the sealing means subjected to fluid pressure;

Fig. 8 is a half sectional elevation of a further modilication of the coupling; and

Fig. 9 is a detailed section through the sealing means of another modification.

Referring to Fig. l, the coupling comprises a tubular member I IJ and a swivel member I I rotatably mounted thereon. The tubular member I has an enlarged end portion I2 providing a shoulder I4 which abuts the front end of the swivel member II. This type of tubular member` may be machined from bar stock. The swivel member Il is provided with a pipe thread I on its front end and its rear end is enlarged and formed with a hexagonal exterior so that it may be gripped and rotated by a Wrench. Inside tne rear hexagonal portion, member I I is provided with an open-ended annular recess I6 having a radiallyextending forward face II. 1n the recess I 6 there are positioned in succession an O-ring lea, a rigid ring I9 slidable in the recess, and a second O-ring Ib. In Figs. 4 and 5 the 0-ring is designated I8. Closing the rear open end of the recess I6 is an annular ilange 20 which extends a short distance into the recess I6 and is secured on-tubular member I0, after assembly of the parts, by a staking operation which forms a slight projection 2I behind the flange 20, which is grooved to receive the projection.

The O-rings I8a and |817 are of resilient material such as rubber, synthetic rubber or the like andare so proportioned relative to the recess I5 as to be slightly compressed in their radial dimension. The length of the recess is such as to permit a slight axial movement of the Q-rings along the outer surface of the tubular member I0. Ring I9 is preferably of rectangular cross.- section and is so dimensioned as to have a slight clearance with respect to the walls of therecess I6 so that it may freely slide therein. It may be vmade of any rigid material such as metal, libre etc. since its purpose is merely to transmit pressure from one O-ring to another.

Referring to Fig. 6, the coupling there shown is substantially of the same construction as that of Fig. 1 except that in place of the separate flange 20 of Fig. 1, Vthe tubular member Illa is formed with an integral flange 20a and has initially an end portion of the same outer diameter as the internal diameter of the swivel member II, the end portion which extends beyond the swivel member being expanded after assembly to form the enlarged end portion IZa having a shoulder Illa which keeps the swivel member II in place.

The modication shown in Fig. 8 is generally similar to the structure of Fig. 6 except that the enlarged end portion I2b of tubular member Ib is expanded into an internal groove 2| against the shoulder Ib in swivel member IIb. This construction is advantageous if the threaded portion I5 is of small diameter. In this figure the complete coupling is shown including the nipple portion 24 of the tubular member IIlb and the cooperating ferrule 25, between which the hose end is gripped in a known manner. Nipple 24 and ferrule 25 may be threaded so as to be screwed together and, to enable the nipple 24 to be rotated relative to the ferrule 25, the tubular member Ib is provided with a wrench-receiving hexagonal portion 26.

Instead of providing the swivel member I I with a recess which is open at the rear end and closed by means f a flange on the tubular member, the swivel member I Ic shown in Fig. 9 may be provided with a wholly internal annular groove 28 having end walls 29 and 3B. In this construction the sliding ring4 ISC would be: split t0 enable'its insertion between the O-rings Iaand ISD.

It will be understood that any of the couplings above described may be screwed into a threaded aperture in. a member, to or from which itis desired to conduct iluid, it being possible to rotate the swivel members II, l-Ib or IIcY without twisting the hose or pipe to which the tubular member I0, Iia, I0?) or Ic may be connected.

In any of the structures described there is bound to be some leakage of fluidunder pressure along the interface between the swivel member and the tubular member up to the point where such fluid encounters the first O-ring I8a. Since this O-ring Ia is compressed sli'ghtly'between ithe' inner and outer walls ofthe recess ISL-in which it is located, fluid pressure willA be built up behindthis O-ring I8a causing it to movetowardthe opposite end of the recess, rIn so mov- Ving,'the O-ring Ia will press-against the rigid ring I9 or Ificwhich in turn presses against the O-ring I8b as illustrated -in Figi'7r. Since ring I9 or ISC' oats freely in the recess, the pressure on O-ring Ib will be substantially equal to that on O-ring I8a. Thel greater'the pressure the greater the sealing effect will" be and ifboth rings are perfect, an equal sealing effect will be exerted by each ring under any given pressure. `How ever, should O-rng |80:` be defective orfail and Tfluid --leaks past it, it will be sealed against escape provides the maximum of safety and permitsk the l use of higher pressures than has heretofore been possible with swivel couplings with any margin of safety. At the Sametime, the sealing means presents very little frictional resistance to the turningof the swivel member when the coupling is not subjected to fluid pressure. The invention isnot limited totwo O-rings with one spacer LI l) ring, but a greater number may be used if desired.

The coupling works equally well under either vacuum or pressure, the only difference being that under vacuum atmosperc pressure is exerted on the sealing means from the outside of the swivel member and thev Oerings and" rigid spacer will move in a direction opposite to" that shown in Fig. 7.

Since various changes mayY be made in the details of construction above described for purposes of illustration, the invention is not to be considered as limited thereto but is to be construedbroadlywithin the purview of the claim.

'What is claimed is:

A swivel coupling comprising, in combination, a tubularrmember having a flange, a swivel member rotatably mounted on said tubular member, said'swivel member having an annular internal recess providing an annular space between said swivel and tubular members, at least two resilient Oirings located? in said annular spa/ae;v saidfO- rings being' proportioned-relative to said-annular space so as to be Yslightly compressed radially and lslidable inV an aXial direction therein, a rigid ring of rectangular cross-section located between adjacent O-rings and freely slidable axially zin saidA annular space,- the aXial'length-of 'saldannular space being substantially greater than the total combined thicknesses of said O-rings and said rigid ring whereby said Oi-rings and vrigid ring may move in an axial direction in said `annular space during the functioning of said'coupling.

ALEXANDER/'N'. TROSHKN.

IRVING D. PRESS.

REFERENCES' CITED The following references are of record in lthe le of thispatent:

. UNITED Y STATES `PATEN'IS Number Name Date 359,394 Jones et al Marf 15, 1887 871,577 Dunkel Nov. 19, l1907 2,190,419 Evarts Feb. r13,i19i0 2,300,584 Martin A Noi/53, 1942 "2,450,581 Couty Oct. 5, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 246,554 Great Britain Jan. 2'?,l 1926 

